- How did you first hear about the CWC?
I believe it was through the board of Colorado Backcountry Hunters and Anglers.
- What is your role on the CWC?
West Slope Angling Rep.
- Tell us about your background when it comes to conservation?
Lordy, where to start? My parents got me out of doors very early. With a lot of hiking and backpacking background, it was only natural that I joined and have maintained membership in a variety of conservation organizations. I’ve been a decades-long member of the Sierra Club, the Wilderness Society, National Resource Defense Council, and National Parks Conservation Association. Adding to that list is Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, where I sit on the state leadership team.
- Why are you so involved with conservation?
I’m old enough to remember when Silent Spring was published. It was a wakeup call, even for an 11-year-old. I was old enough to see and grasp what Rachel Carson was talking about.
- What is your favorite wildlife species and why?
Love ’em all: bears always impress me; mountain lions are the epitome of “cool”; and, of course, as an angler, I must mention California golden trout, a species for which I hold several line class world records dating back to 1987.
- What is your favorite thing about living in Colorado?
The opportunities for outdoor recreation.
- What do you wish Coloradoans knew about the council or wildlife?
That wildlife is a resource we should treasure and, because we humans have such a (usually detrimental) impact on wildlife populations, we need to use the best science and best practices available to manage our wildlife populations.
- What types of outdoor recreation do you partake in?
Hiking, backpacking, cross-country skiing and road biking
- What is your most memorable story about wildlife or being out in the wild?
Bivouacking during a freak June 21-22 blizzard deep in the Fitzpatrick Wilderness in Wyoming in 1989. We had our dogs with us and wound up in a two-person tent telling cat jokes for two days. We’d step out every now and again to knock the snow from the tent, and when it was all said and done, we were in the middle of three feet of snow. The day after dawned crystal clear, and we had the finest fishing for golden trout the world has ever seen.
